Introduction: Use of homeopathy to treat depression is widespread, but there is a lack of clinical trials about its efficacy in depression in peri- and post-menopausal women. The aim of this study was to assess “efficacy” and safety of individualised homeopathic treatment versus placebo, and fluoxetine versus placebo, in peri- and post-menopausal women with moderate to severe depression. Methods/Design: Randomised, placebo-controlled, double-blind, double-dummy, three-arm trial with a six-week follow-up; conducted in outpatient service of homeopathy in a public research hospital in Mexico City. 133 menopausal women diagnosed with major depression according to DSM-IV (moderate to severe intensity) were included. The outcomes were: change in mean total score among groups on the 17-item Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression; Beck Depression Inventory; Greene Climacteric Scale; response and remission rates; and safety. Efficacy data were analysed in the intention-to-treat sample (ANOVA with Bonferroni post-hoc test). Results: After six weeks’ treatment, the homeopathy group was more effective than placebo by 5 points on the Hamilton Scale. Response rate was 54.5% and remission rate was 15.9%; there was a significant difference among groups in response rate, but not in remission rate. Fluoxetine-placebo difference was 3.2 points. No differences were observed among groups in the Beck Depression Inventory. The homeopathy group was superior to placebo in the Greene Climacteric Scale (8.6 points); fluoxetine was not different from placebo in the Greene Climacteric Scale. Authors’ conclusion: Homeopathy and fluoxetine are effective and safe antidepressants for menopausal women. Homeopathy, but not fluoxetine, improves menopausal symptoms scored by the Greene Climacteric Scale.
Reference:
Macías-Cortés EC, Llanes-González L, Aguilar-Faisal L, Asbun-Bojalil J. Individualized homeopathic treatment and fluoxetine for moderate to severe depression in peri- and postmenopausal women (HOMDEP-MENOP study): A randomized, double-dummy, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. PLoS ONE 2015; 10: e0118440.